Transits of Neptune

Transits to Mercury

However, Mercury also has a transcendental side that conveys information not easily handled by rational processes. Its knowledge is intuitive, drawn from sources that are hard to identify or describe, and this side is perfectly compatible with Neptune. At their best, Neptune–Mercury combinations yield inspired insights, intuitive breakthroughs and even mystical experiences. The key is not to push; do not let the ego dictate the pace of understanding. Mercury rules the discursive intellect—the faculty that takes experience and, through accepted reasoning, derives conclusions not implicit in the original data. When Neptune influences Mercury, this faculty falters. The result is not necessarily falsehood, but the path from experience to conclusion becomes obscure.

In the history of science many seminal ideas were first glimpsed intuitively; only later were they justified logically. Neptune–Mercury combinations reverse the usual mercurial order: one starts with the conclusion, then finds logical support that is nonetheless true. This is the ideal expression of the blend. Even so, do not assume your initial hunches are automatically correct, nor assume they are wrong. Proving their validity can be complicated, so adopt the classic Neptunian caution: believe only when belief rests on experience.

Transits to Venus

Their differences, however, are significant. Venus is a personal planet; Neptune is transcendental. At its loftiest Venus does echo Neptune’s devotion and self-transcendence, but on the personal level Venus expresses love and creativity in the physical world. Falling in love with an attractive person, for example, is not usually an act of ego-transcendence, even if it feels ecstatic. Venus has strong ties to the tangible: beautiful objects, comfort and pleasure. Neptune does not. Traditionally Venus partakes of both Hot and Cold qualities, whereas Neptune is purely Cold, usually lowering energy levels. When they combine, Venus’s physical passions fade. Relationships colored by Venus–Neptune aspects tend to be platonic, and creativity flourishes most in non-physical arts such as music, literature and especially poetry. Still, all true art, whatever the medium, requires mental visualization, so some Venus–Neptune synergy is always involved.

Transits to the Sun

Transits to Mars

Neptune’s transcendental nature lies outside ordinary experience, whereas Mars rules basic vitality and drive. Thus Neptune either weakens Mars or redirects its energy toward goals that transcend the ego. Mars is intensely egoistic; Neptune is alien to ego consciousness. Consequently, Neptune–Mars transits can range from highly debilitating periods to moments of sublime spirituality—and everything in between.

The general strategy is easy to describe and hard to practice. At first many people feel confusion. Neptune does not block; it dissipates. Projects begun before the transit may suddenly lose momentum. The best approach is to release the original goal, let go of frustration and wait for clues that reveal a higher purpose. This is where many stumble, sometimes turning to drugs, alcohol or comforting delusions. Those who can surrender often discover a new direction that serves something like divine will—but beware of projecting ordinary ego desires onto a cosmic screen. Let go and allow the energy to flow through you. Even if full acceptance proves elusive, simply releasing the hurt and frustration will help.

Transits to Jupiter

Jupiter thrives on the interpersonal level; it is the planet of societies, cultures and their organizing principles. Personally it can degenerate into entitlement, while transcendently it points to holistic integration. Neptune works poorly at personal and social levels; its realm is the strongly transcendental, suggesting realities beyond this world.

Both planets are idealistic, yet in different ways. Jupiter governs religion’s social forms—churches, rituals, sacraments—while Neptune rules the mystic, the hermit, the prophet: figures often peripheral to organized religion. Neptune also figures in ideologies that demand faith without proof. When Neptune transits Jupiter, confidence may become misplaced and understanding distorted, because Neptune gets dragged into Jupiter’s social realm, where it can breed delusion, even collective delusion. During these transits guard against viewing reality through excessively rose-colored glasses and against inflating the ego with boundless expectations.

Transits to Saturn

Yet these two energies can also signify profound spiritual depth. Their highest, if austere, expression appears in monastic life or among hermits and saints—John the Baptist is a good biblical example.

Saturn has two faces. The lower face governs rules, structures and disciplines that uphold ordinary reality, and, at its worst, unconscious repression. The benevolent side is disciplined adherence to necessary rules. Both are tightly bound to consensus reality. Philosophers of late antiquity and the early modern era saw a higher face of Saturn: an initiatory energy that reveals consensus reality as ultimately illusory. When Neptune joins this higher Saturn, we see spiritual discipline of the highest order, exemplified in figures such as St. Francis of Assisi.

Transits to Uranus

In modern history Uranus and Neptune have conjoined only once since both were known—1993. Those born between roughly 1990 and 1995 are now reaching adulthood (written in 2018). I predict that many will reshape the world’s reality systems. The previous conjunction in 1821 coincided with Charles Babbage’s work on early computing devices; by 1993 the digital age had reached new heights. The process continues, driven in part by the 1993 cohort.

Transits to Neptune

Because of these resonances, many important Neptune phases blend with Saturn and Uranus energies. Still, some general statements apply. Neptune is extremely Wet, so any Neptune-to-Neptune transit diminishes the importance of distinctions and categories. In extreme cases this leads to disorientation, worsened if one insists on making sense of the experience when the wiser course is to live with the ambiguity. Decisive action is harder under these transits.

Second, the line between self and other blurs. Boundaries in relationships may weaken, yet empathy and sensitivity grow. In a crowd you might feel overwhelmed, unable to filter others’ feelings, so avoiding large gatherings can help.

Transits to Pluto

In most personal lives this influence is remote from everyday experience; it grows strongest during major collective transformations. Historically, significant Neptune–Pluto aspects coincide with the beginnings and endings of vast historical cycles. Individuals feel the effects primarily as members of society undergoing sweeping change.

Transits to Chiron

Neptune aligns with higher spirituality, altruism and mysticism—energies outside ordinary reality. Practically, Neptune’s transits to Chiron can bring illness or weakness, but they also open the door to spiritual healing. Techniques that surrender the ego to a higher power are especially fitting, as seen in twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, which treat a distinctly Neptunian ailment. Many alternative healing methods are more Uranian, aiming eventually at scientific validation; true Neptunian methods may never fit scientific naturalism, yet they can still heal when approached with sincere openness.

Transits to Midheaven

The Midheaven reflects purpose and direction, both expressions of the ego. Neptune is transpersonal, serving patterns that transcend individual identity. Its energy blurs goals, making them hard to define. Especially with conjunctions, squares and oppositions (and, to a lesser extent, semi-squares and sesquiquadrates), confusion about vocation or social standing is likely.

Handled well—more often with sextiles and trines—Neptune can deepen spiritual awareness. Even challenging aspects can work positively when your career genuinely serves a larger good. Expect some confusion and self-doubt, yet know these feelings can catalyze a more meaningful path.

Transits to Ascendant

Neptune’s higher expressions—spirituality, the divine, transcendence—can be just as disruptive if they challenge prevailing beliefs that have been domesticated by time. The Ascendant also rules the physical body, while Neptune has little affinity with the physical, often manifesting as weakness or toxicity introduced secretly into the environment. This illustrates how transcendental Neptune interacts with ordinary life.

Transits to the Lunar Nodes

The North Node marks energy sent outward toward the future; the South Node marks energy returning from the past. Neptune’s transcendental energies make full awareness during these transits difficult, yet they rarely trigger immediate crises.

However, actions—or inactions—taken unconsciously at one transit set the stage for the next. In that sense each Neptune–Node transit is karmic: present effects arise from past causes, and current choices shape future experiences. Because unconsciousness is a key factor, confusion at the later transit is itself an outgrowth of the earlier one.